


Abysswalker

by RedFox13



Category: Dark Souls
Genre: Boss Fight, Other, Sad, The feels are real, cannon but non cannon, good ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-26 07:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20926091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedFox13/pseuds/RedFox13
Summary: A not so cannon short story on the Knight Artorias boss fight.





	Abysswalker

The knight Artorias sat alone in the abandoned colosseum cradling his head in his hands. His massive great sword lay forgotten at his side. How long has it been? How much time has passed? Hours? Years? Centuries? Or only moments that lasted like an eternity? He couldn't tell, time no longer had any meaning.  
He felt nothing but blackness all around him, endless, murky, suffocating abyss. It gnawed at him and dulled his senses, slowly driving him further into madness. He felt numb and empty, once more he tried to gather his thoughts but couldn't. His sanity trickled like sand through the cracks of his broken mind. The tighter he grasped the more he lost.

How long had he been like this? Why was he like this? Who was he? He didn't remember. The questions ran circles around his mind as the world around him made less and less sense. The only thing he still knew for certain was that he was protecting something...someone. But who? 

A heavy silence as thick as the abyss that was corrupting him settled over the crumbling arena.  
This place was his tomb, but was he dead or was he in hell? He couldn't tell. The world around him was in a state of perpetual twilight, was it day or night? It didn't matter...nothing mattered anymore. A low mournful howl in the distance pulled him from his thoughts. His head snapped up in the direction of the sound. That voice...it was familiar.

"Ah, Sif! There you are." He said quietly, his voice hoarse from disuse. For a moment the hazy memory of his faithful friend appeared before him. Large golden eyes gazing sadly at him, a faint whimper from the frightened pup as it sniffed at the brilliant barrier of light that weaved it's way around him. His heart sank as he remembered. It couldn't be Sif, he was far away, and as far as he knew still under the protection of his magical great shield.

Without warning he sprung to his feet and reached for his weapon. His left arm dangled uselessly at his side as his eyes searched through the gloom. He sensed something lurking in the shadows. A distinctive chattering with a devilish laugh came from his left, behind him he heard the grating of the heavy arena doors opening. Spotting the abyss creature first he wasted no time dispatching it. Launching himself into the air he brought his sword down onto the creature. It's chattering became garbled as blood dripped from its mouth and from the hole in its chest.

Artorias brought his blade up slightly then thrust it down again. This time the creature fell silent, but as it died dark magic from the abyss fell away from the corpse and snaked its way around his feet. Another one of Manus's traps, but he didn't notice. He had turned to face the warrior that entered the arena. His blood ran cold as he recognized his great shield in the warrior's hand. To see it here meant Sif was no more, as the abyss suddenly took hold of him he was seized by a blind rage. He let out a tortured scream as he hefted the dead abyss creature up on the end of his weapon and hurled it at the warrior.

The warrior dodged it by rolling away. They raised their shield and circled to Artorias's left. Artorias charged him and launched himself into the air again bringing his weapon down hard. The warrior blocked it, but not without damage. They tried to retreat to heal but Artorias pursued them mercilessly. They traded blows back and forth, dodging, rolling, blocking. The warrior took a sip from his estus flask when at a safe distance. Artorias, regaining some of his senses, knelt down and tried to cast deep protection, but growled in frustration as he realized he was too far gone to cast a miracle.

Using this distraction the warrior did something unexpected. Running behind him they took the great shield and plunged it into the ground at Artorias's feet. A faint barrier of light circled its way around him pinning him into a kneeling position. His right arm was just outside the barrier, but not enough to swing his sword. The warrior grabbed his weapon and yanked it from his hand. Artorias growled at him, it was dishonorable to kill a warrior who was unarmed and defenseless.

But to his confusion the warrior didn't strike a killing blow. Instead they sat down and began to shuffle through a bag they brought with them. Artorias raised his eyebrows and tilted his head in curiosity at this strange behavior. He didn't understand what was going on. The warrior produced a soul from their bag and returned it to its place.

Taking the soul they stood and approached Artorias. Kneeling in front of him they gently grasped his right arm and placed the soul in his hand. It was warm and pulsated with a golden light, it was familiar. Without thinking he absorbed the soul and a slew of memories appeared before him. The first was of the warrior before him freeing Sif from the shield's barrier and rescuing him from the abyss.

The second was of Sif guarding a massive tombstone with his great sword plunged into the ground before it. Day and night, year after year, through snow and sun and rain, Sif guarded the grave. He watched the young pup grow up, never leaving that place. One day the warrior returned seeking his ring that allowed him safe travel into the abyss. Sif reluctantly fought him, silently pleading for him to leave. Don't be foolish, the abyss destroyed him. It will destroy you too. I watched what it did to him, no one should suffer that fate.

In the end Sif was defeated, and the warrior took the ring. Artorias stared at the warrior in confusion. He came from the future...to kill him? His eyes widened as it dawned on him, that soul was Sif's. The warrior could've absorbed his power for themselves, but instead decided to reunite him with his faithful companion. Gathering what shreds of humanity he had left, he forced his mind to focus. In a voice distorted by the corrupting darkness he pleaded, "Soon I will be consumed, by them,by the abyss. You must stop it."

The warrior stood silent but nodded, he returned the great sword to Artoria's grasp and removed the shield. They swiftly backed away as they readied themselves, and as the battle resumed Artorias lost himself once more to the madness of the abyss. He swung and charged recklessly, not caring a bit for his own safety. The warrior was cautious, taking the time to read his moves and counter them, dealing damage every chance they got. Artorias had launched himself into the air once again and missed. He was shocked by a sudden blow from behind. The warrior's weapon pierced through his armor and into his heart.

He sank to his knees, leaning on his sword as his life drained from him. The taste of blood in his mouth told him the wound was fatal. He breathed a sigh of relief, it was finally over. As he started to fade away he looked up at the warrior one last time. He couldn't speak, but silently hoped the warrior could see his grateful expression. A peacefulness came over him as his world faded into darkness. The last thing he heard was the clicking of claws coming his direction and the sound of panting. Ah, Sif! There you are! He thought.

The warrior stood alone in the empty arena, on the ground where Artorias had just been was a dark purple soul. A pair of twin humanities danced around each other next to it. Silently the warrior collected them and departed the arena, a heavy silence once more descended on the place. Back at Fire-link shrine the warrior rested from their battle. As they dozed off they had a strange vision. They dreamt of the arena, Sif and Artorias were together. Sif was curled up on the ground and the knight was laying against him. They slept peacefully, making the warrior smile a little. And why not? They thought. After all they've been through, they earned it.


End file.
